Page 22 of Jinxed

‘Well remember – first years don’t get to battle – they’re just alternates in the case of player sickness or baku malfunction.’

‘Oh well, in that case – maybe it would be coolto be on a team,’ I say, with genuine excitement. I’ve never been great at teamwork, preferring to work on my own most of the time at St Agnes. But at Profectus, it feels like anything could happen. ‘Any tips on who the best team captain is?’

‘Well, it should be Tobias hands down,’ says Jake. ‘His brother, Nathan, won it last year. But I wouldn’t count Gemma out. And they say this year mightbe awild cardyear, so there might be some surprises. Anyway, I’d better go. Catch you later,’ he says.

‘Bye,’ I reply. He reaches out to touch Jinx again, but Jinx hisses in response. I attempt to laugh it off but I can see confusion warring on Jake’s face.

Please behave...I try to make my tone sound like a warning, but I can hear Jinx’s scoff in my head. He knows my threats are empty.We might havecommunicationdown, butcommands? I don’t think I have any control over the baku at all. I might have to do some deeper digging into the code.

I head down to the gym floor where the other first years are mingling before Jake can ask me any questions. There’s a mix of nationalities and bakus, and almost everyone has a level 3. The notable exception is Carter, and I skirt the edgeof the crowd to avoid him.

Jinx suddenly buzzes at my feet, strands of his fur lighting up in an undulating pattern.

What’s going on?I ask.

>>Someone is trying to access our data to find out more about you. Happened so quickly they almost bypassed...

‘Miss Chu, is it?’

I look up and freeze in place. Eric Smith is standing within touching distance of me, his red panda baku staring downat me with onyx-dark eyes. ‘Looking forward to starting at Profectus?’

‘Uh... yes, sir,’ I say, my cheeks burning with the attention.

He smiles at me, but it seems to falter as he reads data from his baku. ‘Lacey Chu...’ he says, and a small wrinkle appears in his forehead.

Dread fills my stomach, and I turn the ring on my thumb anxiously.

He shakes his head. ‘Must be a coincidence,’he mutters, mostly to himself. ‘Are you going to make one of the Baku Battle teams?’

‘I hope so, sir,’ I stutter out.

‘You have better odds than my son here,’ he gestures to Carter, who’s appeared behind me. ‘He’s not the most natural athlete, even with the help of a level 4 baku. How you convinced your mother to buy you that thing... what a waste of a darn good baku, if you ask me.’

I canalmost feel the heat radiating from Carter next to me, and he’s huffing like his boar. If it was anyone else, the surge of pity I feel for him in this moment would be an avalanche. So not everything is great and easy in the life of Carter Smith.

‘Where’s your baku, Miss Chu?’ Eric asks me.

I look down at my feet – Jinx is nowhere to be seen. ‘Uhh...’

‘Mr Smith! Can I introduce myself...’ a bubbly student bounds in between us, preventing me from having to answer. I take a few steps back and almost step into Carter. Traces of beetroot-red shame linger at his temples, but he tries to keep up the cocky attitude. I almost admire him for it.Almost.

‘You shouldn’t be here,’ he hisses. ‘You should be at St Agnes with your loser friend. I wouldn’t even try to get on to a team if Iwere you, I’d only have to destroy you.’ Suddenly he yelps, and he looks down at his hand – which has a tiny scratch mark that beads with blood. ‘What the hell?’ he asks. He looks at me accusingly, but I haven’t done anything.

Jinx rubs up against my legs.

I swallow, emboldened by Jinx’s appearance. ‘Look, this is a new school year – can we just forget about St Agnes?’

‘You don’t get it, doyou? Your dad might be a loser who couldn’t handle life at Moncha, but my dadrunsthe place. You’re lucky I didn’t tell my dad exactly who you are. He’d have you kicked out of the school for sure.’

I step back as if I’d been slapped. ‘Lay off my family, Carter.’

‘Oh, now you’re defending him?’

‘I’m not doing anything. I just want to start my school year in peace. If you don’t want to be civilthen leave me alone.’

‘Suit yourself. Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.’

‘Fine by me.’

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